Extensible cord lamp



May 16, 1950 L. l... PATTERSON 2,507,541

EXTENSIBLE CORD LAMP Filed Dec. 7, 1945 z i 5 6 V Lou/5 L. ,Pq rTEso/v IN VEN TOR. J

Patented May 16, 1950 NIEED STATQS OFFICE EXTENSIBLE CORD Louis L. Patterson, 1Los Angeles, Calif.

Applicif December 7, 1945, Sil N`.633,322

3 claims. (o1. 24o-8.18)

This invention relates to an extensible reel wound cord and associated lamp.

Portable lamps of this character have a wide range oi use, particularly so in the automotive held where they provide convenient spot lights while making repairs on stalled cars 'on the highways and for other useful purposes well known to those skilled in this art. Present day lamps of the class to 'which this invention pertains, however, are ineicient in many respects; hama ly, they are not sturdily built; their mechanism is complicated and will not stand up under hard usage; it is diiicult to assemble them and often times repairs are necessary since their conductor cords do not track properly at all times on the reel while being wound up; and the tooling up of the machine work increases the cost beyond a prohibitive amount which retards sales and tend to deny to the public the use of a much needed article.

Objects of this invention are to provide an irnproved lamp which will in a great measure overcome in an improved way the disadvantages above pointed out.

Additional objects reside in: the provision of an improved two-part shell housing wherein the conductor oord is properly tracked on the winding reel; the provision of an improved shell housing wherein the base of the lamp is detachably mountable in a secure manner; and to provide an improved spring-pressed reflector for varying the focus of the lamp.

A. further object of the invention is to provide novel and better means for connecting the terminals of the lamp, the reel and the cord through which electrical energy is supplied to energize the lamp.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

In the present embodiment of the invention now reduced to practice and selected for illustration in the accompanying drawing,

Fig. l is a section taken on line l-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal interior and partly elevational View looking in the direction of the arrows 2--2 in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the mouth portion of the housing through which the electrical conductor is extendable.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the moieties of the shell housing.

Referring in detail to the drawing, numeral 5 indicates one of the two mata/ble shell moieties, separately shown in Fig. 4, said shell being somewhat scoop-shaped having a basin-like cavity provided with a floor portion 6 and upstanding side walls 'i and 8, said floor and side walls tapering toward each open end of the shell. At the lamp end of the housing or casing said tapering walls and oor join the semi-circular part 9 at a point adjacent where the mounting of the lamp occurs and at the opposite end of the housing said tapering walls and floor converge to form a narrow mouth part in the lips of which extend transversely the full width of the casing and which when the sheil moieties 5 and 5a are assembled in a mating relation cooperate to form the substantial rectangular mouthv opening il shown in Fig. 3.

Through the opening il plays back and forth widthwise of the casing the flattened lamp cord l2, said cord containing the two electrical conductors i3 and it which are shown fastened to the hubs' l5 and lli of the front and back plates il and' i8', as kshown in Fig. 2. Since the two conductors extend in a parallel relation in their conduit covering, the cord as a whole is wider than it is deep. The vertical depth of the opening l! is such that the attened cordr has a working fit between the upper and lower lips of the mouth opening. Thus fitting the cord into the slot prevents the twisting of the cord and assures the cords perfect traclzage on the reel upon which it is wound.

Upon the spindle I9 is mounted the reel 2G, the ends of said spindle being journalled in the matchable semi-circular slots or bearing-forming notches 2| and Z2 in each moiety '5 or iid and three spanner screws 23, 2t and 25 secure the moieties inv their operative relation, bosses 23a, 2da and 25a being provided in which to screw the threaded ends of the spanner screws.

The spindle la is constructed of insulating material as are the washers 26 and 2l which space the reels front and back plates away from the walls 'l and 8. To the end of the spindle at one side of the casing as seen in Fig. 2, the reel 2Q is provided with means whereby it may be manually rotated. Said means comprising a crank consisting of two members 23 and 2d hinged be tween their ends in such a manner that the outer member 29 may be swung over the inner member 28 in the manner of the hand crank of a convenn tional measuring tape, the end of the operating knob 3@ at such time occupying a seated position within the recess 3i and with the contoured face thereof frictionally engaging the rounded nose 32 of the member 28.

Each moiety 5 or 5a is provided with a pair of spaced circumferentially extending ribs 33 and 3 34 which are opposed to each other in the assembled position and within the limits defined by the walls of said ribs is Wedgingly gripped the insulating lamp base 35 to which is secured the lamp 36.

To the face of said lamp base opposite that to which the lamp 36 is secured are fastened a pair of bowed, yieldable contact members 3? and 38 the terminal portions of which embrace in a sliding manner the outer faces of the front and back plates I'I and I8 to bridge the circuit between the lamp and reel to which the conductors i3 and I4 are fastened. To the fastening means of the contact members 31 and 38 are secured the conductors 39 which supply electrical current to the lamp 36.

The end portions of the semi-circular parts 9 are externally threaded whereby to screw onto them the circular cap 40, said cap having an inturned circumferential flange 4I surrounding the opening 42 whereagainst to abut the lens L13.

Abutting the lens 43 from the rear is the re .iiector 44, said reiiector being pressed against by the open coil spring 45 to hold the reflector and lens in place. The rear end of the spring i5 seats against the ribs 34. Adjustment is provided by the cooperating external threads of the parts S and the internal threads of the cap i9 whereby to compress more or less the spring to vary the relation of the frusto-conical portion of the reflector with respect to the lamp whereby to regulate the focus of the lamps rays.

To dismantle the device, one simply unscrews the cap 40 and removes the three Spanner screws 23, 26 and 25 after which the various parts are separably removable.

What is claimed is:

1. In an extensible cord lamp, two scoopshaped cooperating moieties, means securing said moieties to each other in a position to form a housing and to provide lbetween them a reel cavity, bearing-forming notches in each of said moieties which cooperate to form opposed journals, a reel including front and back plates, a spindle therefor, said spindle being mounted in said journals, a flattened conductor cord windable upon and unwindable from said reel, said cord having two leads, one of which is in electrical connection with the 4front face of said reel and the other of which is in electrical connection with the back face thereof, said housing having a circular lamp end and a mouth end including upper and lower lips opposite to said lamp end, the lips of said mouth extending transversely of the housing, said Ilattened cord extending with a working fit between the lips of said mouth, said lips engaging the cord with sufficient closeness to prevent twisting of the latter, a pair of internal, parallel semicircular ribs carried by each of said moieties in said circular lamp end, the paired ribs of one moiety being in an opposed relation to those of the other, a circular lamp base having a portion of its periphery gripped between the opposed pairs of ribs, a lamp carried by said base and means electrically connecting said front and back plates of said reel with said lamp.

2. The subject matter of claim l, and said means comprising a pair of bowed, yieldable contact arms carried by said lamp base and having a sliding contact with the peripheries of said front and `back plates.

3. In an extensible cord lamp, two scoopshaped cooperating moieties, means securing said moieties to each other in a position to form a housing and to provide between them a reel cavity, bearing--forming notches in each of said moieties which cooperate to form opposed journals, a reel, a spindle therefor, said spindle being mounted in said journals, a conductor cord windable upon and unwindable from said reel, said cord having two leads in electrical connection with said reel, said housing having a circular lamp end and a mouth end including upper and lower lips opposite to said lamp end, the lips oi said mouth extending transversely of the housing, said cord extending with a working t between the lips of said mouth, a pair of internal, parallel semicircular ribs carried by each of said moieties in said circular lamp end, the paired ribs of one moiety being in an opposed relation to those of the other, a circular lamp base having a portion of its periphery gripped between the opposed pairs of ribs, a lamp carried by said base, and means electrically connecting said reel with said lamp.

LOUIS L. PATTERSON.

REFERENCES CYTED The following references are of record in the y, le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 982,651 Wellman Jan. 24, 1911 1,318,377 Grazier Oct. 14. 1919 1,431,822 Lamb Oct, 10, 1922 1,730,104 Wheat Oct. 1, 1929 1,982,854 Brosilow et al. Dec. e, 1934 2,097,222 Tompkins et al. Oct. 26, 1937 2,272,040 Muldoon Feb. 3, 1942 

